Means for stripping and truing address plates



J. A. HULT ET AL MEANS FOR STRIPPINGA AND TRUING ADDRESS PLATES Feb. 14, 1933,

Filed Febe 8, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet l IIIIHIIH Feb. 14, .19333;

J. A. HULT ET AL 1,897,125

MEANS FOR STRIPPING AND TRUING ADDRESS PLATES Filed Feb. 8, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Hmz/14,., @mg @am un@ Fel). 14, 1933. A HULT E1- AL 1,897,125

MEANS FOR STRIPPING AND TRUING ADDRESS PLATES Filed Feb. 8, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 www, M

Patented Feb. 14, 1933 Uiiii'iED STATES PATENT QEFHCE JOHN A. HULT, OF CLEVELAND, AND PETER M. COLQUHOUN, OF LAKEWOOD, OHIO, .AS SIG-NUES', BY MESNE ASSGNMENTS, TO MULTIGRAPH COMPANY', 0F VILMINGTON, DLLANAEE, il CORPORATION F DELAWARE MEANS FOR STRIPPING AND TRUING ADDR-ESS PLATESv Appiiation. filed February s, 1930. serial No. 426,819.

his invention relates to a machine for removing printing strips from a holder thereof, and at the same time restoring to proper position displaced portions of the holder. More particularly, our machine is adapted to act on embossed strips of metal which overlie raised projections on a stamped metal holder. The strips underhang such projections and must engage them with suficient tightness so that they will not become displaced in use. It is desirable however to remove the strips of any obsolete address plate so that the holder may be used for a fresh address, and our machine is adapted to effect such removal expeditiously, notwitl standing the normal tight engagement of the strip on the holder.

Now in effecting the tight engagement of the strips in the holder the projections of the latter are sometimes distorted from their normal position, and they are likewise sometimes displaced by the action of the strip as it is being removed. The present machine as it removes the strips from such holder, is adapted to restore any displaced projection, so that the stripped plate is, at once, in condition for receiving fresh printing strips.

Our invention is in the nature of an improvement on Patent No. 1,644,773 of iVilliam J. Demming, granted October 11th,

1927, to the assignee The American Multigraph Company for an apparatus for removing printing strips froin holders. The Demming machine however is a hand operated device, and it has been found that if the printing strips are tightly pinched onto the holder projections, too much power is required in stripping them to enable a hand machine to be rapidly operated.

A preferred embodiment of our invention is illustrated in the drawings, and is hereinatt-er described in detail, and the essential novel features of the invention are summarized in the claims. Y Y

in the drawings, Fig. 1 is plan of our improved machine; Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of the same; Fig. 3 is an end view from the right hand end of the machine shown in Figs. 1 and 2; Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical cross section parallel with Fig. 3,

the plane being indicated by the line 4-4 on Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective of a portion of the plate feeding slide; Fig. 6 is a perspective of a plate which our machine is adapted to strip and true; Fig. 7 is a perspective of one of the stripping plungers with the truing device carried thereby; Fig.

is a vertical section of the stripping plunger and truing device showing a portion of a plate in position to be acted on; Fig. 9 is a perspective of a frame block which carries the stripping and truing plungers; Fig. 10 is an end elevation of a set of the plungers,v ali but one of which are in position to coact with strips on the plate; Fig. 11 is a detail in vertical section through one of the plungers in its active position and an adjacent portion or the plat-e; Figs. 12 and 13 are fragmentary sectional plansillustrating the indent-ing of the strip edge to hold it in place on the piate; Fig. 14 is a fragmentary cross section through a plate and strip, illustrating the distortion of the plate which may result from the indenting of the strip; Fig. 15 is a perspective of the truing device inverted for clearness of illustration; Fig. 16 is a substam tially vertical section illustrating one of the stripping and truing plungers and its support, the plunger being shown in an active position; Fig. 17 (Sheet 1) is a diagrammatic development of the driving cam.

As shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4, the frame of the machine comprises a suitable bed 10 with a narrow fiat top, merging in the right hand portion with downwardly curving sides 11 and 19.. This 'frame also has a substantially vertical end plate 13 and various cross Webs as 14, 15, 16. The curved sides 11 and l2, and the end plate 13 and web 14 terminate at their lower extremities in feet 17 to support the machine in a horizontal position. As shown in Fig. 3, the machine rests on a suitable stand indicated at 20, to which the feet 17 are bolted.

In the narrow flat top of the bed 10 is a longitudinal channel 18 extending from one end of the frame to the other end of a width somewhat greater than that of the address. plate to be stripped. This channel 18 near the right hand end of the machine is covered by a plate 19. Slightly at the left of this cover plate and over the open channel 18 is theV plate magazine 40, and beyond that the Vstripping fingers to Vbe later described. Y

Longitudinally siidable in the lframe channel 18 is a slide comprising a pair of longitudinal bars 30 spaced apart, and two interi mediate-blocks 31 and 32 which lie,V between the bars and!Y are held rigidly to them by screws or pins 34 and 35.,V The block 32 lies` above the bars 30 andhprovides a saddle for.V

carrying thefaddress. plate...-The block 31 provides means for attaching the power device as hereinafter described. Between these F blocks isV a' space rthrough* which Vthe removed Vstrips may drop. At the eXtremeleft' hand of the machineis a suitable receptacles designated 100 yadapted to receive thedischargedV address plates, I y y The Vreciprocating slide, operated` by a power 'device hereinafter described, fur-` and having on itsintermediate faceupwardly extending lcorrug'ations azfrom which extend lateral lips a?. The lips shown extend alter# nately `opposite directions Embossed printing strips indicated at Band having in` f wardlyflanged edges b may be'slid into place Y V35 havel` theirfianges extend beneaththe lips,

onjthe'face of the corrugations and lips Vand,

Such vstri'psare usuallyv tightly clainpedin place by indentations of theiredges as shown and'claime'd in Patent No.A 1,651,185 of Clif-l ton Chis The Amerie@ .Muiagraph Company* 'The presentmachine `engages the plate andA shoves it along while theplungers to v o be describedV engage suchstripsB as it isdesired to remove, so that theplate is shoved out from under them, while the strips drop Vbetween, the bars 30`of the slide'.

Y, The plates' to'be stripped are stacked in a vertical'ma'gazine comprising a pair of up'- right'plates 40 which have Nase flanges 4 1 by which ,theyv are secured to the bed and havezi'nwardly turned` vertical edge flanges .42 which-overhang the ends ofthe address Y. plates'.` yThe plates normally stand in this magazineon top of each otherrwith the edgev beadsv aV of each plate resting on the V.edge beads ofthe 'plate' next below, except the bottom plate, the edge beads of which Vrest on the bars 30.. The forward portion of 'the bars 3() yare recessed, as shown at 36 in Fig. ,5'

' fora length as great as the length of the thicknessk of the Vbeads a. The end walls 37.

platewanduto a depth'v corresponding to the of these recesses form` abutments for shoving the plate resting inthe recesses;y

holm, `issued November 29th, 1927, to

.-plur ger.

\ To reciprocatethe frame 30, 31j, 32 by'powf er, we provide the cam drum 50 having its shaft l'journalled in the end plate 13 and roller 38 onl a ,studi 39V depending from the` l bloclr 31 ofthe reciprocating frame. Thisv cam groove makes a complete' circuit about the drum from a region .ne'aron'e end of the drumv toV a'vregionnear the` other end sothat one rotation ofthe drum gives a complete recipro-U cation forward andbaclrtothe slide.

Torotate the dru'mVweform it with a gear on its 'end which is sho-wn as meshing "with:

a gear on la lay shaft 61. This shaft carries aV pulley 62 from which abe'lt 63 issh'own' asleading to a pulley'- onthe armature shaft- Y 65 of a motor 66, carried ina suitable manner `(not shown) as for instanceby the'stand'20. `W hen the machine is'jinoperation,the continnous rotation of theV motorjthus. givesrec'ip-r Y rocationsV to the slide;WithoutJ subst@ma,.

pauses as thedi're'ctionof strokechanges.VY

It results from the construction described, that when the reciprocating slide islnio'ved to its extreme outward kposition bringing the saddle block 32 beneaththe-magazine Ll0, the

v stackof plates drops so that Vthe beadsV of the bottom plate come into recesses 36in the bars in opposite sides ofthe saddle block;'then as -the .slide movestoward vthe left (Fig. 2)' the l shoulders 37 at the' right hand end of such recesses lshove the bottom-'most plate toward theV left, while themagazine members @retain alll of the'addre'ssplatesveXcept therbottonimost plate.

' rNear the right of the magazine, as shown inFigsQ1'and'2 is a transverse block 70 secured to' the bed by, screws passing through theblock. On its under side, this block is recessed at 7 2 to allow the passage of the recip- Y rocating frame and plate.. 'Mounted in a .recess 73l in the left handverticalface -ofthe block are a set of plungers 8O (as many as the total number oflines'which'may be carried to thel plate) which4 are shown as separated by webs 71 of the block and held in place by a frontplatei secured tothe block 7() and havingan overhanging top flange 76; Any of these plungers vmay be held in place toengage the correspondingstrip and preventits advancement vwhile the plate is adf vanced beneath the block. 2 Mounted in .lcerfs 77 vinV the upperface of the bloclr() are series of levers 85 pivoted by means Aofa.transversepin 86.V There is one in the block 70 are short latchrods 78, one for eachplunger 80, and pressed toward the-1n Vby springs 79. The plungers 80 are provided withsuitable V-shaped recesses82 inwhich tive, it is substantially in the position shown in 8 and 1G, the latch 78 engaging its notch` 82 and holding it in place. lien, however, it is desired to move any plunger idle position, this is readily etlected by depressing the outer end of the corresponding lever .75 which moves the plunger upwardly until it abuts the iiange 76 of the front plate. The spg latch engaging the tace of the plunger will hold it in this elevated idle position until the plunger is depressed by its lever.

Assuming that the plungers are depressed to engage the strips to be removed, then as tie reciprocating :trame carries a plate toward the right out or" the magazine, the plungers will engage the strips without engaging the plate and thus prevent advancement ci the strips. so that the plate is shoved out beneath the strips. The plate is thus adlvanced beyond the plungers and is thereby cleared of such strips as it is desired to remove, the removed strips dropping through an opening in the bed.

Fig. 12 illustrates at ZJ an indentation ot the edge ilange b of a printing strip B by a comparatively narrow tool which maires au indentation li coming between two plate-lips o, and on the opposite sine an indentation h2 coming against a single lip. As there is less resistance to the indentation between the lips, the most of the strip-distortion takes place on that sine, resulting in a considerable inward bend. This inward bending no only requires relatively large power to remove the strip from the plate, but has a camming action on th lips of the plate as the stri is l emp' removed, thus frequently distorting eral ot those lips.

The distortion oi the plate by the camming action of the strip being removed, as just reierred to, may to a certain extent be relieved by lengthening the indentation as illustrated Fig. but in this case, assuming that in indentation is long enough to bridge the difierence between one lip to the next, the inl.. ation is comparatively slight on the side where the two lips are engaged but is greater on the other side where one lip only is engaged, e lip is with the result that the si A f bent inwardly by the act orn distorting the `strip as indicated in Fig. 14.

This indenting of the printing strip may be eiiected in any suitable manner, as Jfor instance by the hand tool shown in Patent No. 1,720,318 granted July 9th, 1999, which operates on each strip individually, or the multiple acting` power machine oi Patent No'. 1,734,707 granted November 5th, 1929, both its 'to the assignee The American Multi- Company. But however, the indentations are applied, or whatever their form, the ultimate result on the plate is substantially the san e; namely the retention is so edective that much power is required for removal of the strips, and after a strip has been removed, several lips on the plate are so distorted from true position, that it is not feasible to slide a fresh printing strip onto the plate. We have, therefore, provided means about to be described to true the lips oit any row as the strip of that row is being removed.

Mounted on the Leshaped lower end 95 oi each plunger S0 is a stirrup 90. This stirrup has inwardly projecting` bottom flanges 91 a suitable distance below the bottom :tace 86 oi the plunger, so that the plate projections it properly positioned may readily slide between the two. As the plate lips may be distorted sideways as well as up and down, we taper of the end of the flanges 91 laterally as shown at 92 in Fig. 15, while to lift depressed lips we taper the upper surface of these flanges as shown at 93 in Fig. 8. Such downwardly extending bevelled portion is adapted to slide beneath any distorted projection as indicated at at in Figs. 8 and ll, and raise it to the proper level as indicated by the projection a3 in Fig. 8. Accordingly, the mere act of discharging a strip troni the plate au* tomatically trues any distorted projection.

Tt should be noted that in the truing action described, the truing stirrup is entirely stationary, while the plate is positioned while being delinitely guided parallel with the truing flanges 91. This guiding action of the plate-propelling slide is ot importance in insu ing accurate operation oiE the truing flanges. The under lace oi' the plunger 8O terms top abutment limiting the upward bending of the lips, by the bevels 93. These lips therefore come into the coniining channel provided by the under face of the plunger and the upper horizontal face of the flanges and the vertical inner sides of the stirrup, which necessarily produces a true lip as the same passes out ot this guide.

The address plate which the particular embodiment shown is designed to strip has its intermediate region arc-shaped so that it may be readily mounted for printing action on a rotary drum. To enable the truing flanges 91 to properly engage beneath the plate lips of such a plate, while the under face 8G oit the plunger 80 stands close to the top of those lips, we mount the plungers 89 radially about the same center as that 01": the arc of the plate, as shown clearly in Fig. 10. To accommodate these radially positioned plungers, we malte the grooves 74 in the block 70, which they occupy, radial as shown in Fig. 9.

As the machine operates with considerable rapidity, momentum tends to carry the stripped plate to some extent beyond the end oi the saddle 32; as the slide reaches the end of its stroke; then as the slide reverses its movement and moves in the opposite direction, the inertia of the plate tends to hold it pulls out from under the plate. These two forces of momentum on the strippingstroke and inertia on the return stroke are ordinarily sufficientA toentirely 4discharge the plate f so'that it passes downed .the endof Ythe bed intothe receptacle 100. However, if for any `reason the plate remainson the saddle, no

10 The receptaclelOO may have partition 1.01 so that the discharged plates harm-results for it will be retarded by 'the friction'aljengagement of its buttons with-any active truing stirrups', so vthat can never passlback under'themagazine. f.

an linclined stand in an'inclined position `in the recepagainstv injury the receptacle.

'tacle andinaybev readily grasped several at`v` .altime fdr-transference to aI suitable con- .tainen laterece ltacle is in realit fa s rino mem- The inclined support .101? in the ber -secured at its lower end and free at. its upper end, and-thisacts as a shock absorber in receiving the dischargedplates, insuring In order to obtain asteadyA action dis- :fcl'iarging and truing the strips without-reducing the speed of operation, weprovideV tliecam drive for the slide in ysuch mannerY as to give a quick return motion to the slide; rlhis may be eii'ected by making the cam groove 52 extend in the shoving or active direction for materially vmore than halt the circumference of the drum,.while the 'return' is accomplished in the remaining` portion.

thirds of the rotation, and the Yreturn onethird; Vso that in this-caseftlie returnA is at `twice the speed of the'discharging movel ment. This is villustrated in Fig. 2 and also in the diagram otFig. 17 whichshows a development of the cam groove of Fig. 2.

It will be seen that our machine, though simplein construction, may byv reason-of the Y continuously applied' rotary power, operate the'address plate projections; `'Ilie*provision of means tor automatic truing ofeach line ofV vprojections on theplate as the'strip'is re- 55Vaddress plates, the combination withone or with rapidity and with suflicient'force ltore'- lmove lany strips even though Vtheyare secured' very-tightlyby their indentations to moved insures the plate being in proper condition forthe remounting of strips as soon as the plate has been cleared of the former IlVe claimt-V Y l. In a machine 1for removing strips from more abutments, of? a reciprocating slide adapted to carry the address plateand movable beneatlithe abutments in lsucliiiianner that tlieabutments may engage stripson the address plate and retain them while the plate continues its movement, and nieansifor driving the slide by aV comparatively slop7 Vmovevmentintlie active direction, and comparatively quick return movement.

2. In a machine of the characterdescribed,

by theinto those already in Ask ' shown'tlie shoving strokeoccupies about twoal@ combinatie or" frame, afs-iid@ guider` f thereby adapted .'tofcarry an address plate, a

driving drum having'ea diagonal 'groove forming a circuit about its periphery, the opposite longitudinal limits of the groove being '3. AY machine fori acting'on address plates,

the combination of a slide adapted'to carry the .address plate when the' slide moves it,

ay rotary drum'mountedinjtlie base ofthe machine on" an axis parallel with the slide, said drum having a groove making a Ycircuit aboutit infan inclined path from near;` one endY ofthe drum to near the :other end, the slide having aroller occupying aY groove of the drum,whereby tlieirotation of the drum vreciprocates the slide to'sliovethe plateV in kan active direction andthen return,'the cam groove being soarranged that -the points thereofv where it. reverses the directiony of rotation ot the slide are`V materially closerto each other vi'a oneside of the drum than via the other, and a motor `so1c`onnected to the a quick return.

4. In a-machine ofthecharacter described, the combinationV with VVmeans for holding an address plate having raised overhanging lips, a device for truing said lips comprising flanges adapted to extend 'beneaththem,

which flanges `are bevelled downwardly at their activeends, and means for causingv relative movement between the 'address plateiand flanges. nl Y 5.` The combination with` means for holding an address plate havingraised project- -the address plate,'means.to cooperate with'.

drum that it may4 rotate itinja direction to cause theshorter reach of the groove to move past the roller in' the'idledirection offthe movement ofthe slide, thus giving the 'slide ing lips, a device having ilangesadapted to entend beneath the lips,-'t he; entrance to the passageway between the iianges being flared by lateral bevelling of the anges, and

' Vmeans for causing relativemovement between the address plate and flanges.

6. In a machine or-truingthelipson an address plate, the combination of means for carrying the'addressplate,a memberlhaving side wallsadapted'to stand on opposite sides of the lips and fliavingf'flanges to eX- tend beneath them, saidflanges adjacent their activey end lhaving their innerfaces bevelled outwardly, also having theirr top surfaces Vbevelled downwardly, and means Vfor causing relative longitudinal movement-between the address plate and flanges, `whereby said bevels will pull inwardly laterally distorted lips and will pull upwardly downwardly distorted lips.

i". rlhe combination, with means for carrying a trough shaped address plate having its intern ^fl`ate portion arranged in Van arc with lding overhanging lips, of a series o; tial members corresponding to the are, e ch member having a pair ot' depending parallel walls adapted to extend onto opposite si( es of the plate lips, said walls having inwardly projecting flanges adapted to eX- tend beneath said lips, and means to cause relative movement between the address plate and members whereby one moves relatively pastthe other, and the lips of the plate are engaged by said flanges.

S. The combination with means for carrying a trough shaped address plate having its intermediate portion arranged in an arc and carrying upstanding overhanging lips, ot a series of radial plungers corresponding to the arc, each plunger having on its lower end a pair of depending parallel walls adapted to extend onto opposite sides of the plate lips, said walls having inwardly projecting flanges adapted to extend beneath said lips, said flanges having downward bevels at their entrance ends and means to cause relative movement between the address plate and plungers, whereby one moves relatively pastthe other, d the lips of the plate are engaged by said flanges.

9. In a machine for truing the lips of address plates, the combination of a rectilinearly reciprocable slide, a set of plungers each carrj-,fing a pair of guiding walls with inwardly extending flanges, means for holding said `elungers stationary so that said flanges lie 1`)arallel with the direction of the movement oi the slide, means for operating the slide to move the plate so that the lips pass between tl' e bottom face oit the plunger'andsaid inwardly projecting flanges, said flanges having their upper surfaces bevelled downwardly at their entrance end.

l0. ln a machine for truing the lips of address plates, the combination of a rectilinearly reciprocable slide, a member carrying a pair of inwardly extending parallel flanges, means for holding said flanges stationary so that they lie parallel with the direction of the movement ot the slide, means for operating the slide to move the address plate so that the lips pass along said inwardliv proiecting flanges,said flanges being bevelle-.d outwardly on their inner sides at their entrance ends.

il. ln a machine of the character described. the combination with means for carg and moving an address plate having raced oiferhanging lips surmounted by removableflanged 3L inting strips, of a series of L-shaped plungersq each plunger having on its L-shaped portion an overlying stirrup having flanges spaced apart and projecting inwardly beneath the plunger, one end portion of said langes having their top surfaces bevelled downwardly. y

l2. In a. machine for removing strips from address plates, the combination with means to retard the strips, of a slide to move the address plate beneath said means whereby the plate is shoved out from under the strips, a receptacle to receive the stripped plates, and

g occupying the receiving receptacle, anchored at its lower end and extending diagonally upward withinr the receptacle and free at its upper end. l

l?. ln a device of the character described, the combination of aprcciprocating member adapted to move an arcuate plate carrying a plurality of printing strips and a set of radial members arranged in an arc and having their ends adapted to cooperate with the plate to engage the printing strips thereon as the reciprocating member moves the plate past said radial members.

lil. ln a device of the character described, the combination of a frame, a reciprocating member therein adapted to move a plate carrying a plurality of printing strips, and a set o' individual members each mounted in its own guideway in the frame and each having its end adapted to engage a printing strip on the plate` as the reciproca-ting` member moves the plate past said individual members.

l5. In a device of the character described, the combination of a reciprocating member adapted to move an arcuate plate having upstanding projections in its ends, a set of radial guideways arranged in an arc, members mounted individually in said guideways and having their ends adapted to cooperate with the plate to engage the projections thereof as the reciprocating member moves the plate past said radial members.

16. A machine for removing strips from address plates, comprising the combination ot a member adapted to engage a strip, a member for holding the address plate, and means for reciprocating one of said members relative to the other by a comparatively slow stroke the active direction and a. comparatively quiclr return stroke.

17. ln a machine for removing strips from address plates, the combination of a member adapted to hold an arcuate plate carrying a plurality of printing strips, a. member holding a set of radial abutments arranged in an arc and having their en ds adapted to abut the strips, and means for reciprocating one of said members relative to the other.

18. ln device of the character described,

the combination of means adapted to support a plate carrying plurality of print-ing strips, a set of individual members, each mounted in its own guideway and each adapted to engage a printing strip on the 16. Y I e f ,razas PETER MoLoUnoUN;

plate; andmeansfor oaingrelatiife moVe-` ment betweenthe plate-slipport andtheset of individual members; 1' Y, 19. In a' machine of fthe character de-Y f scribed, the combination of a member adapted to hold anarcuate plate vcarrying parallel Vrows ofVV upsta'n'ding projections, a member Y holding a Set of radial members arranged in Y an aro andhavingtheirend portions adapted to engage saidprojeotion Ato true Vthem,A and iv means for reciprocating one of said members Y relative tothe other.

In WitnessV whereof, We hereunto 'ax our signaturesQy` l l e V :1;JOHN A.. HULT; i 

